{"id":1013,"date":"2009-08-17T08:59:33","date_gmt":"2009-08-17T16:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=1013"},"modified":"2013-08-20T14:22:44","modified_gmt":"2013-08-20T22:22:44","slug":"fire-up-your-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/fire-up-your-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Fire Up Your Life"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Image courtesy of Krystal ‘Kito’ Cunningham<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Yippee! It\u2019s Monday. I am dying to get started with this exciting week.<\/p>\n

Do you utter these words while making your way out of the bed on Monday mornings? Do you jump out of bed every morning in the state of excitement?<\/p>\n

If your answer to this is \u201c Yes\u201d then let me tell you that you are already living a life full of passion.<\/p>\n

But if you are like most of us who are sleepwalking through life your answer to this would be \u201cNo! I would prefer to stay in the state of slumber. My dream world is far more alluring than my real world.\u201d<\/p>\n

We all go through life dealing with mundane matters. There are times when we feel that there is something missing in life, that there is something more to life. We might even try to dismiss this feeling of inner void by saying \u201c How\u00a0 could I be so greedy? My life is just fine. I should stop asking for more and be happy with what I have.\u201d With this notion deeply rooted in our mind, we consider ourselves to be happy. But deep down our heart we are still craving for a life that is more joyous and more exciting.<\/p>\n

Whether we realize it or not, this kind of superficial living is self \u2013destructive. We are sabotaging our growth and falling prey to our circumstances. Our life is meant to be colorful and enthralling and passion is what makes our life fulfilling in the true sense. Everyone is capable of pursuing their passion. All we need is a little effort towards creating our dream life.<\/p>\n

What is \u201cPassion\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The word passion has lost its charm and true meaning these days. We find people using this word when they are vaguely referring to a desire or hobby. Passion goes beyond the realms of wants and desires. We all wish for several things in our life. But are we really passionate about them? Are we ready to go out of our way to achieve them? We need to ponder over these questions to identify our passions and discern them from mere wants.<\/p>\n

Why is passion so imperative in life?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A source of motivation<\/strong><\/p>\n

On windy days we often notice leaves tossing and turning around, acting according to the whims of the wind. The wind says \u201cGo east\u201d. The leaf goes east. The wind says \u201c Go west\u201d. The leaf goes west. The wind says \u201c Stop\u201d. The leaf stops flying. Without passion we are like this leaf. We might know where we want to go but our lack of motivation will easily derail us from our track. Our Passion transforms us into an arrow. The storm might knock the arrow off course but it would keep flying. Passion provides us motivation to keep moving whenever life tries to knock us down.<\/p>\n

The secret of success<\/strong><\/p>\n

Have you ever noticed that most of the millionaires and successful entrepreneurs are high school drop outs.\u00a0 Almost none of them finished college. What makes it possible for these people who might seem ordinary to have an extraordinary life? The answer is passion. Think of all great achievers and you will be struck by their passion. Mahatma Gandhi\u2019s passion for human rights, Winston Churchill\u2019s passion for freedom, Bill Gates\u2019s passion for technology. All these successful people have proved the fact that \u201cThe only path leading to success is the path paved with passion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now that you know why passion is so relevant in life, let us look into some ways to nurture passion in life.<\/p>\n

Ways to rekindle passion in life:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Look within<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI just can\u2019t find my passion\u201d I often hear people say. In this world where we are tuned in, logged on or dialed in virtually non- stop, taking time to let ourselves contemplate is very rare. But quiet reflective time is all it takes to find our passion. Try taking a trip down memory lane. What was that one thing you could for hours and hours when you were a child? It gave you so much pleasure that you lost track of time. I discovered most of my passions by ruminating over the things I loved to do as a child.<\/p>\n

Beware of the thief<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our passion is like a precious pearl we possess. There is a thief who goes around stealing our passions. This thief of passion is nothing but fear. Fear of change, fear of failure, fear of stepping out of our comfort zone. This fear is what deters most people from pursuing their passion. If you want to live a more fulfilling life then you have to let go of your fears. Never let your passion get stolen by your fears.<\/p>\n

Shield your passion from naysayers<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201c Have you gone crazy\u201d \u201c Forget it you will never make it\u201d This is what we get to hear when we decide to go off the beaten path to pursue our passion. Do not let these pessimistic people derail you from your path. Following the herd will not get you anywhere but following you heart will surely take you to your dreams. So shield yourself form the outer noise and just tune into your heart.<\/p>\n

Align your passion with your profession<\/strong><\/p>\n

Your passion need not be restricted to your weekends. Many people have found ways to turn their passion into rewarding career. I recently read an article about a bus driver in Chicago who sings while he drives. Apart from attracting passengers his unique style of driving attracted even the media. When he was being interviewed on television, he said \u201cDon\u2019t call me a driver. I am a professional singer. My passion is singing not driving. I only drive to get a captive audience every single day\u201d. Here is a person who has found a creative way to align his passion with his occupation. Like this \u201cSinging driver\u201d you too can find ways to align your job with your passion.<\/p>\n

Mingle with passionate people<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ever noticed that person who always seems to have spring in his step and a spark in his eyes. Passionate people can easily be spotted in a flock of people. They have an aura of positivity and charm that draws other people to them. And what more their passion is contagious so that the people who interact with them also get infected with it. Whenever you feel that you have lost your fire get around these fire lighters. By spending time with passionate people you can\u2019t help getting infected with their passion.<\/p>\n

Keep your eyes wide open<\/strong><\/p>\n

Explore for new passions when you feel that the old ones have just faded away. Do not hesitate to experiment. You never know when\u00a0\u00a0 you would stumble upon a new one that can rekindle the joy in life. I personally believe in having a variety of passions in life. I feel each of my passions add a new color to my life thereby making it more colorful.<\/p>\n

Swati Ramnath is a Guest Blogger and avid reader of PickTheBrain.<\/em><\/p>\n

Krystal ‘Kito’ Cunningham<\/a> is a Photographer from Hawaii and her piece: Reflections Of The Heart is a selection from our\u00a0 PTB Blog Art Submissions Project<\/a>.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Don’t Forget To Follow PickTheBrain on Twitter<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Related Articles:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

10 Morning Habits To Build Your Day Upon<\/a><\/p>\n

Important Vs. Urgent: 5 Ways To Focus on What Matters<\/a><\/p>\n

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Whether we realize it or not, this kind of superficial living is self \u2013destructive. We are sabotaging our growth and falling prey to our circumstances. Our life is meant to be colorful and enthralling and passion is what makes our life fulfilling in the true sense. Everyone is capable of pursuing their passion. All we need is a little effort towards creating our dream life. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":1014,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[9],"tags":[63,4631,70,66,71,54,4629,69],"yoast_head":"\nFire Up Your Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Whether we realize it or not, this kind of superficial living is self \u2013destructive. 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